As mother of two school age children, I have done my fair share of volunteering at their school. I also had the opportunity to be elected the booster club president when my oldest daughter was in first grade. My volunteering, and responsibilities as a booster club president, allowed me to learn about the variety of opportunities out there for parents to become involved in their children's school.

One of the things I have enjoyed with volunteering is the fact that I am better able to get to know those who my children interact with on a day-to-day basis. It has brought me comfort that I have been able to get to know everyone from the teacher to the cafeteria cashier. Without volunteering, I don't think that I would know these people very well. With all that said, I understand that some parents don't feel comfortable in the classroom, and there are some who work long hours and have limited time -- there are many situations which can make it difficult for a parent to get involved with their child's school.

Here is a list of ideas that you can take a look at to see if you might be able to help your child's school -- some require a lot of time, others only take a couple hours. Some of these ideas might not apply to your child's school, but if something on this list sparks your interest, it never hurts to contact your child's teacher or principal to see if they could use your help in that area.

1) Volunteer in one of the following areas: schoolwide, classroom, library, cafeteria, playground, run off copies for teachers, cut out materials at home.

2) Room mother or father (generally organizes class parties and parent volunteers for the teacher).

3) Become a parent association (aka PTA, booster club, PFO, etc.) member.

4) Attend school events, such as back to school night, carnivals, award ceremonies.

5) Tutoring, during class or after school.

6) Become a parent association officer (such as president, secretary, treasurer).

7) Attend parent association meetings.

8) Help with fundraising, even if that means just purchasing items.

9) Chaperone field trips or dances.

10) Crossing guard.

11) Become a member of the site improvement board, school site council, task force or other committees.

12) Be a high school mentor.

13) Proof read papers.

14) Coordinate volunteers for the school staff.

15) Help with after school day care.

16) Set up/maintain "child watch" or "safe house" program, which allows children walking home from school to know that they can seek help (if needed) at your home.

17) If you work, you can volunteer through your company by obtaining donations, hiring a student, seeking internships, arranging field trips to your business, job fairs, etc.

18) Attend parent-teacher conferences.

19) Donate goodies for classroom parties.

20) Be a guest reader: once a month or so come to your childs class and read a story to the children.

21) Help a teacher grade papers.

22) Help put up eye-catching bulletin boards.

23) Help design and print classroom newsletters or school newsletters.

24) Work on the yearbook.

25) Visit on career day and tell about your occupation.

26) Purchase extra school supplies for the class during back-to-school sales.

27) Create & maintain a classroom or school website.

28) Design a classroom scrapbook album.

29) Help the librarian with repair of books or other tasks.

30) Find a way to share your talents and hobbies.

Did you find something that would work for you? If so, don't wait -- contact your child's school and get busy! However, just remember, the idea isn't to go overboard, but more to show you that there are a variety of ways that you give of your time.

©2001 Brandie Valenzuela